A Little Late
by Lavender Love
Summary: Originally a oneshot, now a WIP. Takes place post 2.08 elevator scene.
1. Chapter 1

So last night I was watching Season 2 in the car and I came up with this idea. It's takes place during the elevator scene in 2.08.

Right now, it's a oneshot but I might continue it if I get the motivation. It's also my first Grey's fanfic so let me know how you like it.

**Disclaimer: I in no way own Grey's Anatomy. I wish I owned Grey's Anatomy though. Because then I could make Patrick Dempsey be naked in every episode. **

Fate.

I stopped believing in it after Derek's wife showed up. Before that, I had foolishly thought that Derek and I were fated to be together. Obviously, I was wrong.

To make things worse, fate likes to take any chance that it can get to remind me of just how wrong I was about Derek and me exactly. I have to work with Derek. And his amazingly beautiful, incredibly smart, painfully nice, not easy to hate wife. They're always there. A constant reminder of what I don't have. Of what I'll never have.

And apparently, fate's newest way of torturing me is having Derek be on the elevator every time I'm on. And of course, there he is now.

There he is standing up against the back wall with his perfect hair and his perfect everything. And here I am, with my hair that hasn't been washed in two days and a Hello Kitty band-aid on my forehead.

Yes, apparently fate loves to torture me.

I sigh and step on to the elevator, immediately turning around so I don't have to look at him. Standing there, I want to say something. Anything. I want to tell him that I love him. That I hate him for choosing her. That I don't know if I'll ever be the same again. Before I even realize it, I say something.

"I miss you."

Damn it. That is not what I was planning on saying. Even though it's true. I do miss him. I miss him more than anything.

I can feel him move towards me. His breath falls on my neck as he leans into me. I forgot how good it feels to be close to him.

Damn. It feels good to be this close to my Meredith again. Even though she's not my Meredith anymore. It feels different. Different than anything I've ever felt before. Different but right. It feels so right.

I inhale her scent. The scent that is so Meredith. She always smelled like some type of flower. I always meant to ask her what it was but I never got the chance.

All I want to do right now is gather her in my arms and take her right there in the elevator. I want to feel her body pressed against me. I want to taste her again. God, I want that more than anything.

Her body tenses underneath me as the elevator dings, signaling our arrival. I pull away reluctantly as the elevator doors open.

"I can't," I whisper in her ear. But oh how I wish I could.

I watch as Derek steps out of the elevator. Part of me is grateful that I don't have to be close to him anymore. The other part of me is begging for him to come back so that I can feel his warmth again.

I swear I see him hesitate before walking away. As if trying to decide who to choose all over again. For a second it looks as if he might keep going. But he doesn't.

He turns around and steps back onto the elevator, pushing me up against the back wall. I close my eyes and wait. For what I'm not sure. My breathing becomes heavier as he leans even closer to me.

I don't even know what I'm doing at this point. I hadn't meant to turn around. But I did. And now I have Meredith backed up against the back wall of the elevator.

"I can't pretend anymore. I can't keep acting like I'm over you when I'm not. That you're out of my life."

The words come out of my mouth before I even know what I'm saying.

"I want you Meredith. I want you so bad. I want you to be a part of my life. I _need_ you to be a part of my life."

She opens her eyes and looks into mine. I slowly lean forward and capture her lips with my own. God, how I missed her. My tongue enters her mouth and she moans with pleasure. Breathless, I pull away.

"It took being away from you to realize how much I love you. How much I need you in my live to survive."

Her eyes look into mine as if trying to decide if I'm telling the truth.

"I know I'm a little late. But I pick you. I choose you. I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting down at the bar, I throw back another shot of tequila. The liquor burns my throat as it slides down.

"Give me another one, Joe," I say. I know I probably shouldn't, but I'm in the mood to.

After our encounter in the elevator, Derek said that he was going to tell Addison as soon as he got home. He said that he was going to meet me here a half an hour ago. So either he's telling Addison right now and she's putting up a fight, or, he changed his mind.

I throw my head back again and drink another shot.

It better not be the second option.

I sigh as I step in front of the trailer. Addison had just moved in a couple days ago. And now I was going to tell her to leave again.

I run a hand through my hair and step inside. I look around for Addison and find her in the bedroom. She's lying there reading a magazine with her glasses on. She looks up at me as I walk towards her and smiles. I turn my gaze to the floor. I can't bring myself to look at her. Not when I was about to break her heart.

Laying my jacket on the chair on the way, I sit on the side of the bed.

"So how was your day?" she asks me.

I had the whole speech planned out in my head. But now, I can't remember a word of what I was going to say.

"We need to talk."

I look at the clock again for what seems like the tenth time in five minutes.

9:52.

Derek was supposed to be here at 9:15. I hadn't told anyone so I didn't even have anyone here to reassure me that he would come.

Shit. He probably changed his mind. There goes fate again. Kicking me in the ass any chance it gets.

9:53.

Why is he not here yet? I keep on trying to come up with reasons as to why he might not be here. He could have gotten called into an emergency surgery. That's always a possibility. Or he could have changed his mind.

No. I can't think like that. He didn't change his mind. He's just running late. That's all.

My head snaps towards the door as the bell lets me know that someone is coming into the bar.

I walk back to the car and look at my watch. Damn it. It's already 9:32. It took longer than I thought to tell Addison.

I jump into the car and start speeding towards Joe's. Hopefully she's still there. Hopefully she hasn't given up on me yet.

I look at the clock constantly on the drive to Joe's. Finally at 9:53 I get there. Thirty-eight minutes late but I'm there. I'm free. Free to be with my Meredith again.

I walk into Joe's and her head snaps towards the door. At first, she looks like she's given up hope. But as she sees that it's me, her face lights up and she smiles. My heart flutters and if I had any doubts about loving her before, I certainly don't now.

I always thought that when people said that they "just knew" about a certain person that it was a load of bullshit. Now I know that it's true. I feel every feeling, every cliché.

When I see that it's Derek, a smile spreads across my face. I get up off the barstool and make my way over to him. We meet in the middle and just stare at each other. It feels like hours but it's probably only seconds.

All I want to do is kiss him but I know that that would only lead to us having sex right here in the bar. And we need to talk before any sex happens anywhere.

Wordlessly, I grab his hand and lead him out to the parking lot. Talking at home is better than talking in the bar. Before I even know what's happening, Derek pushes me up against the outside wall of the bar and his mouth is on mine. I want to kiss him back but I know that once we start, we won't stop.

Reluctantly I pull away and place my hands on his chest. He looks at me strangely and I respond by simply saying, "Talk." He nods in response.

We make our way over to his car and we start on our way to my house. For a while, it's silent. But not awkward. Derek's the first to talk.

"So I told her," he says simply looking over at me.

I nod and reply. "What did she do?"

"She wasn't surprised. And she said that she knew that I was in love with you and that she didn't want me if I didn't love her back." He pauses and looks over at me. "She might stay in Seattle though."

This takes me by surprise. I would have thought that Addison would move back to New York as soon as she could. "Oh," I say.

"Well, she just signed a contract but she's going to see what she can do." He reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it gently, causing me to smile.

"It'll be ok. I might actually like her if I get to know her." That's a load of crap. I don't think I could ever like the woman that hurt Derek and then stole him from me.

Derek pulls into the driveway and turns off the car. He looks over at me and smiles. "We'll be ok."

I grab Meredith's hand and lead her into the house. George and Izzie give us strange looks as we make our way up the steps to Meredith's room.

"Later," Meredith tells them and she continues to follow me.

Once we get to Meredith's room, we sit down on the bed. We're silent for a few minutes. She's the first to talk.

"So…you said things. Lots of things. Things that changed everything."

I nod and reply. "I did say things. And I meant every word."

"I don't know Derek. You hurt me. And I know you didn't mean to but how do I know that you won't hurt me again?"

"You just have to trust me when I say that I won't. I love you Meredith. I've been in love with you for…ever. And when I had a choice to make, I chose wrong." I lift her chin up and place a gentle kiss on her lips.

Soon, the kiss grows more passionate and my hands crawl underneath Meredith's shirt. I lift it up over her head and we fall back onto the bead as the rest of our clothes begin to join Meredith's shirt in a pile on the floor.


End file.
